By Chloe Law

Staff Writer

On Feb. 7, applications for the purchase of abandoned homes in the town of Ollolai, Italy closed to the public. For approximately three years, the comune residing in the center of Barbagia had offered 200 of its stone-built dwellings for as little as 1 euro or the equivalent of $1.24 in US money.

According to Travel and Leisure, Ollolai was one of the many towns participating in the “Case 1 euro project”. Established on the premises of halting declining populations and preserving historical areas, the project had granted several towns in Italian regions such as Tuscany, Sardinia, and Sicily the opportunity to offer historic property and restore towns.

Located in province of Nuoro on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, Ollolai was formerly known as Barbagia’s capital. As of recent years however, Ollolai’s streets have become quiet as a large number of its residents have moved into larger cities. The Italian town has experienced a sharp decline in population size with numbers going from 2250 to 1300, according to CNN.

In an attempt to prevent the risk of Ollolai becoming a ghost town, mayor Efisio Arbau requested for the former owners of the homes to sign the dwellings over to town authorities in 2015 in order to commence the project.

“We boast prehistoric origins. My crusade is to rescue our unique traditions from falling into oblivion,” commented Arbau.

As many of the building in Ollolai were in poor condition, those interested in buying the homes were tasked with refurbishing the stone-built dwellings within three years- a task that is estimated to cost around $25,000 in total. Those who decided to renovate the houses were also able to apply for grants that funded up to 60% of the cost.

In order to request one of the houses, people were required to go on Ollolai’s official and download the document under the “Case a 1 euro – Documentazione e modulistica” banner. Upon downloading, one would complete the form before returning it along with a photocopy of your identity document. Requests were then filed in chronological order and people were invited to tour the homes in the weeks following their initial submission.

Retired builder, Vito Casula, was the first person to purchase a two-story house in Ollolai.

“My wife saw the ad in the newspaper. It was an opportunity,” said Casula in an interview with CNN. “This quiet town is frozen in time. It offers a peaceful, healthy life.”

As of Feb. 12, three houses have been sold and over 100 requests are waiting to be reviewed by town authorities.